Cueritos

Last updated
Vendors selling churros and cueritos (in a spicy sauce) at the Plaza de Toros in Mexico City CueritosChurrosDF.JPG
Vendors selling churros and cueritos (in a spicy sauce) at the Plaza de Toros in Mexico City

Cuerito is pig skin (pork rind) from Mexican cuisine, Venezuelan cuisine and Spanish cuisine. Cuero is the Spanish-language word for skin, leather or hide, so cueritos means "little skins". They are usually pickled in vinegar [1] [2] (cueritos de vinagre) and can be made with a spicy sauce. The vinegar can be seasoned with pineapple, dulce macho (piloncillo), cloves, peppercorns, chile de árbol and oregano. [3] There are also family recipes. [4]

Contents

Cueritos are used to make a type of cemita and can be used in other dishes like tostadas. Cueritos are sometimes served in a glass with strips of the pickled pork rind alongside a slaw of cabbage, cucumber, lime, and chile sauce. [1] The Mexican street food (antojito) known as "tostilocos" are made by slicing nacho-flavored tostito chips vertically and topping them with cucumber, cueritos, lime juice, Valentina hot sauce, chamoy, tajín (seasoning) chili powder, salt and "Japanese peanuts" (peanuts encased in a crunchy brown flour shell).

In Acatlán, Hidalgo the feast in honor of the Archangel Michael is held from 20–29 September, with religious events, traditional dances and traditional foods such as cueritos made with chili pepper sauce and varieties of pulque.

Pickling differentiates cueritos from chicharrón, which is fried pork skin. In Spain the chicharrón is the rind with fat still attached and cuerito is a rind with no fat attached.[ citation needed ] In Mexico, chicharrón is the cuerito or pig skin fried to a crisp like cracklings in the southern states and cueritos is soft, deep fat fried pig skin, chopped and used for tacos.

In Mexico, natural, uncured cueritos, usually the thick pig skin without the fat attached, are always combined with "macisa", solid or thick meat, in carnitas which is deep fat fried pig parts sold for tacos. The tacos are served with a choice of meats, chopped, in 1 or 2 soft corn tortillas, covered with chopped cilantro and onion, and the choice of a hot chilli sauce. They are a popular street food that can be found in public markets, most carnicerías, or meat stores, and many restaurants.

Types of cuerito

Cuerito Grueso is thick pigskin from the pig ears, face and feet. [3] Cuerito Delgado is from the pig's body and is thinner. Encurtidos are pickled vegetables, peanuts and potatoes. [3] Other subtleties of the varieties of epidermis and pig fat have also been noted. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Offal</span> Internal organs and entrails of a butchered animal

Offal, also called variety meats, pluck or organ meats, is the internal organs of a butchered animal. The word does not refer to a particular list of edible organs, and these lists of organs vary with culture and region, but usually exclude skeletal muscle. Offal may also refer to the by-products of milled grains, such as corn or wheat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fried rice</span> Asian rice dish

Fried rice is a dish of cooked rice that has been stir-fried in a wok or a frying pan and is usually mixed with other ingredients such as eggs, vegetables, seafood, or meat. It is often eaten by itself or as an accompaniment to another dish. Fried rice is a popular component of East Asian, Southeast Asian and certain South Asian cuisines, as well as a staple national dish of Indonesia. As a homemade dish, fried rice is typically made with ingredients left over from other dishes, leading to countless variations. Fried rice first developed during the Sui Dynasty in China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pork belly</span> Boneless and fatty cut of meat from the belly of a pig

Pork belly or belly pork is a boneless and fatty cut of meat from the belly of a pig. Pork belly is particularly popular in Filipino, Hispanic, Chinese, Danish, Norwegian, Korean, and Thai cuisine.

<i>Chicharrón</i> Pork dish of Spanish origin

Chicharrón is a dish generally consisting of fried pork belly or fried pork rinds. Chicharrón may also be made from chicken, mutton or beef.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Mexican cuisine</span> Cuisine originating from New Mexico

New Mexican cuisine is the cuisine of the Southwestern US state of New Mexico. The region is primarily known for its fusion of Pueblo Native American cuisine with Hispano Spanish and Mexican cuisine originating in Nuevo México.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noodle soup</span> Variety of soups with noodles and other ingredients served in a light broth

Noodle soup refers to a variety of soups with noodles and other ingredients served in a light broth. Noodle soup is a common dish across East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Himalayan states of South Asia. Various types of noodles are used, such as rice noodles, wheat noodles and egg noodles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peranakan cuisine</span> Cuisine of the Straits Chinese people

Peranakan cuisine or Nyonya cuisine comes from the Peranakans, descendants of early Chinese migrants who settled in Penang, Malacca, Singapore and Indonesia, inter-marrying with local Malays. In Baba Malay, a female Peranakan is known as a nonya, and a male Peranakan is known as a baba. The cuisine combines Chinese, Malay, Javanese, South Indian, and other influences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guatemalan cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Guatemala

Most traditional foods in Guatemalan cuisine are based on Maya cuisine, with Spanish influence, and prominently feature corn, chilies and beans as key ingredients. Guatemala is famously home to the Hass avocado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sope (food)</span> Traditional Mexican dish

A sope is a traditional Mexican dish consisting of a fried masa base with savory toppings. Also known as picadita, it originates in the central and southern parts of Mexico, where it was sometimes first known as pellizcadas. It is an antojito, which at first sight looks like an unusually thick tortilla with vegetables and meat toppings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antojito</span> Mexican street food called "antojitos" in Spanish

Mexican street food, called antojitos, is prepared by street vendors and at small traditional markets in Mexico. Street foods include tacos, tamales, gorditas, quesadillas, empalmes, tostadas, chalupa, elote, tlayudas, cemita, pambazo, empanada, nachos, chilaquiles, fajita and tortas, as well as fresh fruit, vegetables, beverages and soups such as menudo, pozole and pancita. Most are available in the morning and the evening, as mid-afternoon is the time for the main formal meal of the day. Mexico has one of the most extensive street food cultures in Latin America, and Forbes named Mexico City as one of the foremost cities in the world in which to eat on the street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texan cuisine</span> Food and drinks from Texas

Texan cuisine is the food associated with the Southern U.S. state of Texas, including its native Southwestern cuisine influenced Tex-Mex foods. Texas is a large state, and its cuisine has been influenced by a wide range of cultures, including Tejano/Mexican, Native American, Creole/Cajun, African-American, German, Czech, Southern and other European American groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tostilocos</span> Mexican street food

Tostilocos are a popular Mexican antojito that consist of a varied mix of ingredients that usually includes Tostitos or Doritos tortilla chips, topped with cueritos, cucumber, jícama, lime juice, hot sauce, chamoy, chili powder, salt, and "Japanese peanuts". The dish was first conceived in the late 1990s by street vendors in Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pork rind</span> Pork skin, raw or fried

Pork rind is the culinary term for the skin of a pig. It can be used in many different ways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indonesian noodles</span> Indonesian dish

Indonesian noodles are a significant aspect of Indonesian cuisine which is itself very diverse. Indonesian cuisine recognizes many types of noodles, with each region of the country often developing its own distinct recipes.

References

  1. 1 2 Archived 2012-11-19 at the Wayback Machine Cueritos: Pickled Pork Rinds from Tortas Paquime] by Erica O'Neil Wed., Apr. 13 2011 Phoenix New Times
  2. "Mexican Food: Chicharrón with Cueritos". Mexicanfoods.blogspot.com. 2004-02-23. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
  3. 1 2 3 http://www.lacocinadeleslie.com/2009/10/encurtidos.html October 22, 2009 La Cocina de Leslie
  4. Bob Mrotek (2009-10-21). "Mexico Bob: Tostadas de Cueritos de Carmelita". Mexicobob.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
  5. Essence of Chicharron Mexico Bob